The background information is believed, at the time of the filing of this patent application, to adequately provide background information for this patent application. However, the background information may not be completely applicable to the claims as originally filed in this patent application, as amended during prosecution of this patent application, and as ultimately allowed in any patent issuing from this patent application. Therefore, any statements made relating to the background information are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
Surface mounted and suspension mounted light fixtures, such as strip fixtures, have typically been installed to provide general lighting of large indoor spaces. For example, surface mount and strip light fixtures may include stem mounted, pendant mounted, and suspension mounted variations as well as those fixtures mounted directly to a ceiling or in the ceiling.
Typically, such strip fixtures include a channel in the form of an inverted box, trough, or troffer, with the channel being attached to, recessed in, or suspended from the ceiling. Lamp holders or sockets are often attached to the channel or troffer. A ballast is often attached within the channel and wiring attaches the ballast to the lamp holders. Power is typically supplied to the ballast by wiring brought into the channel through the top or end of the channel. A ballast cover is often used to cover the ballast and wiring. Linear fluorescent lamps are then typically placed in the lamp holders for operation of the fixture. The lamps may be left bare or covered for providing light to the space below. Because of their low cost and utilitarian use, fluorescent strip light fixtures are installed in abundance. For example, typical uses include warehouses, retail stores, such as grocery, drug, and department stores, where the fixtures are commonly mounted in continuous rows.
Since the introduction of the fluorescent lamp at the 1939 World Fair, fluorescent lighting technology has greatly advanced. For example, over the years, lamp and ballast manufacturers have developed fluorescent lamp-ballast systems with improved efficiencies. More recently, light emitting diode (LED) lamps have been developed. An LED lamp is a solid-state lamp that uses LEDs as the source of light. An LED may comprise a conventional semiconductor light emitting diode or an organic or polymeric light emitting diode. LED lamps may have one or more advantages over fluorescent lamps, for example, LED lamps do not contain mercury, they may turn on more instantaneously, they may have a longer service life, and they may have a greater efficiency.
It may be desired to provide advantages of LEDs to existing fluorescent light fixtures. However, for existing installations, implementation of the newer LED technology may require either replacing the individual fixture components (ballast, lamp holders, wiring, and lamps) or replacing the fixtures all together. Both processes may be time consuming and labor intensive.
Thus, there is a need for a lighting system configured to fit with a box or strip housing.